The Accidental Dictionary
Title | The Accidental Dictionary PDF eBook |
Author | Paul Anthony Jones |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 224 |
Release | 2019-06-13 |
Genre | English language |
ISBN | 9781783964383 |
Brimming with hidden histories and tantalising twists, The Accidental Dictionary tells the extraordinary stories behind ordinary words. Our everyday language is full of surprises; its origins are stranger than you might think. Any word might be knocked and buffeted, subjected to twists and turns, expansions and contractions, happy and unhappy accidents. There are intriguing tales behind even the most familiar terms, and they can say as much about the present as they do the past. Busking, for instance, originally meant piracy. Grin meant to snarl. A bimbo was a man, nice meant ignorant, glamour was magic and a cupboard was a table... Focusing on 100 surprising threads in the evolution of English, The Accidental Dictionary reveals the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today. It is a weird and wonderful journey into words. "A real delight ... hidden gems nestle on every page" -- JaffaReadsToo "The Accidental Dictionary is certainly worth adding [to a bookshelf]... I knew very few of these, which is a good thing, and now I know more, which is a better one" -- Marcus Berkmann, Spectator Christmas books 2016
The Accidental Dictionary
Title | The Accidental Dictionary PDF eBook |
Author | Paul Anthony Jones |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Total Pages | 224 |
Release | 2017-10-03 |
Genre | Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | 1681775859 |
Our everyday language is full of surprises; its origins are stranger than you might think. Any word might be knocked and buffeted, subjected to twists and turns, expansions and contractions, happy and unhappy accidents. There are intriguing tales behind even the most familiar terms, and they can say as much about the present as they do the past.Busking, for instance, originally meant piracy. Grin meant to snarl. A bimbo was a man; nice meant ignorant; glamor was magic; and a cupboard was a table. Buxom used to mean obedient; a cloud was a rock; raunchy originally meant dirty.Focusing on one hundred surprising threads in the evolution of English, The Accidental Dictionary reveals the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today. It is a weird and wonderful journey into words.
THE ENCYCLOPAEDIC DICTIONARY
Title | THE ENCYCLOPAEDIC DICTIONARY PDF eBook |
Author | |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 2206 |
Release | 1896 |
Genre | |
ISBN |
The Encyclopædic Dictionary
Title | The Encyclopædic Dictionary PDF eBook |
Author | Robert Hunter |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 400 |
Release | 1884 |
Genre | Encyclopedias and dictionaries |
ISBN |
The American Encyclopaedic Dictionary
Title | The American Encyclopaedic Dictionary PDF eBook |
Author | |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 1158 |
Release | 1895 |
Genre | |
ISBN |
The Modern World Dictionary of the English Language ...
Title | The Modern World Dictionary of the English Language ... PDF eBook |
Author | |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 1380 |
Release | 1896 |
Genre | Encyclopedias and dictionaries |
ISBN |
Universal Dictionary of the English Language
Title | Universal Dictionary of the English Language PDF eBook |
Author | Robert Hunter |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 1368 |
Release | 1899 |
Genre | Encyclopedias and dictionaries |
ISBN |